Schaumburg working on Sunset Park flooding issues

Schaumburg officials plan to take a major step Tuesday toward solving one neighborhood's drainage problems brought to light by last August's big storm.

Trustees are expected to authorize a $57,443 contract with Christopher B. Burke Engineering of Rosemont to design a dry detention pond in Sunset Park and a 30-inch storm sewer on Salford Drive in the far southeast neighborhood hard hit by flooding on Aug. 23, 2007.

Still at issue is the cost of enclosing the open drainage ditch along Niagara Avenue that contributed to last year's problems, as well as whether homeowners will be asked to share this cost.

Niagara Avenue resident David Judycki said the village would be wrong to ask him and his neighbors to pay any part of enclosing what he sees as the community's storm sewer, but believes progress is finally being made on solving a major problem.

"For what they're committing to do, they're on the right track, but they're not breaking any speed records," Judycki said of village officials.

The work the village is committing to deals with the stormwater capacity issues in the neighborhood, which they say an engineering study identified as more responsible for last year's problems than whether the ditch on Niagara Avenue was open.

This part of the project would increase the capacity of the area's storm sewers and use about two-thirds of the 1.6-acre Sunset Park to hold stormwater temporarily.

Schaumburg Park District officials are generally in agreement with the plan, but have asked that the tennis courts at Sunset Park not be included in the area designated for water detention, Executive Director Jean Schlinkmann said.

The contract trustees expect to authorize Tuesday is for the design of the project only, not its construction, said Trustee Marge Connelly, chair of the Engineering & Public Works Committee.

Nevertheless, construction is intended to begin next spring as long as funding isn't an issue, she said.

Meanwhile, the village will look for new quotes on the cost of enclosing the Niagara Avenue ditch. Officials regard Burke Engineering's estimate as too high.

The village still plans to ask homeowners along Niagara Avenue to share the cost of this part of the project as it will improve their property values and is historically what has been done, Connelly said.

Village staff estimated the cost of the Niagara Avenue project at $170,000 last May, but it's being looked at again.